What Kind of Seizure Do I (You) Have?

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), the world’s leading professional organization working on behalf of epilepsy, has published new ways of classifying and naming the many different types of seizures. It took many years for this work to be done. People with epilepsy were involved and gave feedback during this lengthy process too.

Now it is our turn to learn about these changes and what they mean for our lives and care.

Why change the names of seizures? Won’t this be more confusing?

Change is hard, and the new terms may be confusing at first. Yet, the new classification makes more sense. For example, it…

Emphasizes where seizures start. The onset or beginning of a seizure is key in knowing what part of the brain is affected, what treatments may help you, and what you may expect over time.

Simplifies how we describe the many features that may happen during a seizure.

Includes all the different types of seizures. The older classification left out many types and didn’t offer a way to classify seizures that we didn’t have enough information about yet.

Is this seizure classification for people with epilepsy, families, and the general public? How can I use this?